Flush panel construction



A ril 25, 1933. H. B. WUEBLING 1,905,082

FLUSH PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwwmtoz Harr B; Mae b/c'rg April 25, 1933. H. B. WUEBLING 1,905,082

FLUSH PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hal-g3. h/aeb/irg I among Patented Apr. 25,1933

rLUsnrAnnn consrnuc'rron j l j i UNIT ED STATES HARRY B. or crnc rnnnrron ro p I hppliciztidn 111;; December s, 1930. Serial This invention relates to a structure known 7 as an access panel or. unit which isadapted to be installed in awall or floor in flush relationship with the outer surface thereof-and a! which covers but permits access to 'plumbing,

wiring, etc., without. disturbance or. injury to the wall or floor. The-device,with a grill 7 replacing the solid panel portion thereof, is

likewise adapted for use as a register.

m An object of the invention is to provide an improved structure of this type. r

Another object'is toprovide such a device wherein the closure orpanel portion, is permanently connected to the :frameportion.

a m Another object is to construct such a de-.

vice wherein the movable panel portion, in its opened position,- lies flush with=the adjacent wall or floor surface. a

Another object, is the provision of a novel kind of hinge means between the movable and the supporting portions ofthe structure. Another object is an: improvement in the, locking and release means of the device.

Another object is toiprovide" such a struc ture which" is unusually simpleand sturdy in its construction, convenient in use, and adapted for low-cost manufacture.

: These andother objects are attainedby the means described herein and set 'forthinthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig, 1 isa perspective view of the access.

panel of this-invention in an opened position.-- I w v Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the access panel, closed and positioned in a floor, wall or ceiling. Y i I Fig. 3 is across sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. l

Fi 4: isa view similar to 3 showing the evice. as installed in a wall.

? vention;

frame; I w

The access panel comprisesthe rectangular. open frame 12 and the panel; or door 13, both preferably formed of metal. The framehas. top..1 ,'botto1nl5 and side's16 and 17, each of V which maybe formed of a-pair of right-angle 5:

strips 18. and 19,*joined together as by; spot. welding so as to provide a flangeproj eating outwardly, afiange 21 projecting inwardly 2 nd flange 22 projecting rearwardly 'ofthe rame.

is formed-on the frame for seating panel-13 flush with flange 20; In constructing the frame, the joined angle strips may be suitably mitered at their ends before being welded togetherto formtop, bottom and sides. Perfo-. rated angle clips 24 (Fig. 5,) are secured upon the outer face of rearwardly projectingflange 22 and are adapted-to receive screws 25for se-- curingthe frame to beams, or other support;

ing structure-accessible withinthe wallspace V which receives the frame; In addition,"the flange-22 is provided-with perforations 26 7 adjacent clips 24.- .for receivingsuitablesecuring means. 4, might-consist of wires27, passed, one each through perforated clip2l and around stud- 28 contained within the'wall, the .wire27 be-- ing thereafter twisted togetherv at its ends."

As: seen inFig. 3, perforations {26 receive screws which are driven directlyinto flooring 29. This view'as well asFig. 6, shows 1 1 l i the edges of flange 22 disposed beneath the metal sheeting 30. of a heat conduit. It will beseen in the various views that the flange 85. 20 lies flush with the adjacents outer-wall or floor surface. In the'caselof a plaster wall installation, the:spaces between flange 20 and the broken jedges ofth'e wall space maybe filled; in after positioning of'the 99 A three=knuckle hinge 31 of tion joins-panel 13 to "frame 12'. Hinge- 31' it comprises a pair 'of leaves 32and 33rhingedly joined at 34 (F igs; land 6). Straight leaf e,

32is hingedlyattached n 5 to a bracket 36 secured to the-rear faceof panel13 and extending over flange 21 when the-panel is closed. Leaf 33,. having a downward bend at 330, is

hingedly attached at 37to a bracket 38,secured 19 F J 2 Flange 21is offset inwardly relative Q. to flange 20'whereby a countersunkiledge23 These means as shown in Fig.

upon therear face of flange portion 21 ofbottom 15. When panel 13 is initially opened outwardlythejournal members 39 ofthe hinge joint 35 remain in abutment against bracket 38 (Fig 6) and there isonlya slight pivotal movement ofthe panel 15 atjoint 35,before' the bottomedge of the panel 13 binds against the flangeportion' 21 of the'frarne bottom,

it down flush against the outer floor or 'wall I surface, *it is necessary to lift upward-upon v thejpanel, breaking the abutmentof j our-nal imembers 39 and bracket 38," and of'the bottom edgeof panel 13 with flange 21.: Pivotal movement at joints 34, and- 37 is then projected forwardly and lies acrossthe edge of flange 21 while-the leaf 32 extends down wardlyin substantialparallelism with down- I modification'of the. hinge structure is weirdly-extending panel 13'.

' shown in Fig. 8. -Herein a somewhat'elon- 7 end of leaf 41 being hingedly associated at gated hinge leaf 40 is hingedly attached to flange. 21 at the top edge thereof. A shorter hinge leaf 41 has a hinge connection 42 with the inwardly-projecting bracket 43,ithe other 44 withleaf 40. Hinge connection 42,- when i the 'pane'l13 is closed, bears against the ad-i jacent side of leaf40rand, together withthe abutment'of panel 13 against flange 21, pro'-' 7 vides -a safety stop operative upon'g initial openingof the panel, byiwhich two means; the" panelis held againstv further outward niov'eg' ment until lifted as, above-explained; lt is preferable to provide bracket .43, befo're posi tioning thereof, with a slight bend .so' that T after complete installation of lth'e associated rhingejstructure this bond may be increased exactly to the required eX'tent,"fas at 430, for: I

"ister grille for. the soliddoor shown herein,

would in noway afiectthe associatedmeans insuring firm abutment of hingev connection; 42 against leaf40. 5

" V The means'forlocking andopening p anel l3"comp'ri'ses a bolt 143 passing throu'gh the top'of panel 13 and revoluble therein. 'Bolt 143 has a screw-head 144 counter-s unk in the 'Upon the inner end of bolt 143, a latchmem- V from the panel, sai-d 'fiange beingfcut transi versely and a portion thereof on one side-of the out being bent rearwardl-y'of the frame outer face of panel 13; The'in ner end of' -the secured upon the inner" face of anel 13 the bracket being of substantially thefsame thickness as flange 21. Bracket 45 isprovided with the inwardly projecting ledge 7 portion 146.:

ber'47 is fixed, said member having anfend 48 curved outwardly of'panel 13. tInwardly-' projecting flange =portion=21 (Fig.1) of the top 14-iscut transversely and a portion there r of bent rearwardly to provi'de a cam face 49;

A way 50 resultsbetween this cam faceand the unbe'nt-edge51 of'flange 21.. Upon closing 1.: ,The combination. lvvith .a 1aninWardly-projecting flange and" a closing of pa-nel'13,-the'latch 45 is turned, by means of screw *head'44, so that end 48 of the latch 3 projects upwardly, whereby the latch is re- 7 ceivable in-the way 50, and panel 13 abuts against the outer: face of flange 21. Latch 45 is then turned to theposition seen in Fig. 3,: Withend 48,.disposed above edge- 50 of flange. 21 -whereby the panel v.is lockedm a clo d position. Upon turning of the latch .76 rides'upon' the cain- "face 49Qandrsenve sias a back npccamfor pushing the panel 13 out-j 7 wardly,ft'he latter automatically assuming I .i hel nitie Openingpos p e s y scribed. ,7 Ledge 46 limit in the opposite directionfend 48- thereof oflatch'member 45.v V 1 The invention 1 ztherefore fprovides, a; sims:

pivotal movement plified access pa'nel having the door-portion? if in permanent. attachment-thereon by means 1 permitting movement of the door to. an-;un-:' obstructing open; -position- :and providing Y safety 1 means to. effect a controlled opening; A single fastening means isfprovidedin place of the frequently used threepoiht closure saidmeans likewise initiating openingl'movei ment of the'panel, it being understood-that papering, or theIlike -may be appliedto'said outer-face; The access-panel, dueto the ia'biltthe outer panelface is completely smooth and flush with the adj acent surface so-that paint-,1

ment of the doorl3iwith flange 21iis likewise dust-proof. a

In case an access panelor similar structure of larger; than average-size is tojbefinstalled, H

it would be: desirable to utilize a hingestruc ture of propo-rtionately. greater. len'gth to properlyl' mountlthe larger and heavierv panel door. -Alternatively,':two,1three or more of 'theregular, smaller sizehinge structures may be'used; In1th1s instance, it-is preferableto utilizea single elongatedhinge pintle j oiningl the leaves of the various hinges whereby un'iform positioning and movementof, the hinges maybeassu'red;

panel adapted to contact said flangeylof a bolt passing. throughjithe panel and .revoluble 'fro'm thefOut erfacftliereof, and arlatchf H member-fixed up'onrthe'iinner 1end ofthe bolt It is obviousthat'the substitution .frameihaving.

and having an end curved in a direction away,

and providing a way'adaptedfto'receive the ed when turned in one direction, tooverlap the unbent portion of said flange for locking the panel, and when turned in the opposite direction, to contact the bent portion of said flange for initiating opening of the panel.

.2. The combination with a frame having an inwardly projecting flange with a way therethrough and a closing panel adapted to contact said flange, of a latch member attached to the rear of the panel and movable from the outer face thereof, said latch member being receivable through said way and movable to a latched relationship with said flange, and means on the latch member and flange and adapted to initiate opening move-- ment of the panel upon unlatching thereof.

3. An access panel adapted for insertion in a wall'space and'comprising frame members formed of pairs of angle strips joined scribed my name this 12th day of December,

v HARRY B. WUEBLING." 

